Religion

Via press release from the South Florida LGBT rights group SAVE: On Tuesday night, North Bay Village voted to enact its own local ban on so-called conversion therapy. At the urging of SAVE, the Village, located just outside of Miami, became the latest jurisdiction in South Florida to adopt such a ban. “This year we’re hitting the ground running in …

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote. Senate Bill 6, a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would require transgender people to use bathrooms in public schools, government buildings and other publicly-owned facilities that match their “biological sex” and not gender identity. And it would …

Boston’s Fox affiliate reports: After several days of back and forth, organizers of the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade have decided to allow LGBT veterans group OUTVETS to participate. The decision was announced in a tweet from parade organizers just before 4:30 p.m. Friday. “This is something that had to be fixed. This is something that I needed to …

USA Today reports: Pope Francis says he is open to the possibility of permitting married men to become priests to address the serious shortage of Catholic priests in some countries. The pope raised the idea in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit. He ruled out the prospect of allowing single men who are already priests to marry, but …

Universal Hub reports: Dan Magoon, who heads an organization to honor and support Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families, today quit his honorary position as head of the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade after its organizers voted to bar a gay veterans group from the procession. Mayor Walsh [photo] also said this morning he will not march in …

For the third time in three years. Via press release: One Colorado, the state’s leading advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families, released the following statement from Executive Director Daniel Ramos on the passage of House Bill 1156 out of the Colorado House Representatives by a 38-27 vote with bipartisan support. “House Bill …

Interesting that this comes on the same day we learn of an “exclusively gay moment” in the upcoming Beauty And The Beast remake. Via email: Alerting all parents! In a first for the Disney Channel, a Disney XD show subtly displayed several gay kisses in an episode that aired a couple of days ago. The “Star vs. the Forces of …

“Planned Parenthood is the #1 abortion provider in the United States. Raising funds for this organization is like raising money to fund a Nazi death camp—like Auschwitz, except for innocent babies in their mother’s wombs! Reports say they perform over 300,000 abortions per year. And this is the organization whose employees were caught on video trying to sell baby body …

Via World Net Daily: News came this week that Family Christian Stores is finally shuttering all 240 locations. The 85-year-old chain filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015, and now the end has come for the Christian retail giant that employed 3,000 and stretched across 36 states. They did it to themselves. The explosion came from within, as decades of pandering …

Every time Macy’s closes a few stores or Target has a bad quarter, the right wing celebrates their “victory.” So today we get this: Family Christian, the “World’s largest retailer of Christian-themed merchandise” is set to close at 240 stores in 36 states after 85 years. The non-profit store, which employs 3,000 people, said that the store had been seeing …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis delivered another criticism of some members of his own Church on Thursday, suggesting it is better to be an atheist than one of “many” Catholics who he said lead a hypocritical double life. In improvised comments in the sermon of his private morning Mass in his residence, he said: “It is a scandal to say one …

The Associated Press reports: A Pennsylvania school district has agreed to remove a granite Ten Commandments monument from outside a high school and pay $164,000 in legal fees to settle a federal lawsuit. The Freedom From Religion Foundation said it received a signed settlement Tuesday from the New Kensington-Arnold School District saying it will relocate the 6-foot-high monolith from near …

Back in December 2015, Harlem hate Pastor James David Manning was among a group black evangelicals that met with Donald Trump at Trump Tower. Several weeks later the sign at Manning’s church declared, “Jesus would endorse Donald Trump.” However in June 2016, Manning changed his mind about Jesus’ endorsement following Trump’s statement on the Pulse Massacre. That day Manning’s sign …

Michigan Live reports: A judge dismissed Jenison Bible Church’s lawsuit against a gay man who displayed a sign implying the church supported same-sex marriage. Daniel VanderLey asked area churches to take a public stand against Bradlee Dean, an advocate for traditional marriage, who was speaking at a “God and Country” event at Jenison Center for the Arts. VanderLey, who contended …

The Independent reports: Malaysia’s Government has endorsed gay conversion therapy after federal authorities claimed sexual orientation can be changed with extensive training. A video produced by the country’s family, social and development department explains how Muslims can change their approach to the LGBT community so that it does not promote hate against a minority, but the video has sparked anger …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis repeated his appeal for people to build bridges of understanding, not walls as he marked a feast day of a Sudanese immigrant amid a global uproar over the Trump administration’s attempts to impose a travel ban on seven mostly Muslim countries. “In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create …

The Toledo Blade reports: The Toledo City Council unanimously approved a ban on conversion therapy today while also making gender identity a protected class in the city. The proposal was lauded earlier in the day during a public hearing by supporters but also criticized by clergymen who asked if they would be prohibited from counseling people who are gay. Conversion …

The BBC reports: A Church of England theological college has expressed regret after trainee priests held a service in the antiquated gay slang language Polari. The service at the chapel of Westcott House in Cambridge was to commemorate LGBT history month. The congregation was told the use of the lexicon was an attempt to “queer the liturgy of evening prayer”. …

Brian Tashman reports at Right Wing Watch: Yesterday, Jim Bakker continued to make the case that the people protesting Donald Trump are possessed by demons. Bakker told evangelist Billye Brim that he encountered “four rotten little girls” demonstrating against Trump during the president’s inauguration, asserting: “It was a possession, it’s the demons.” “What’s happening is we’ve had leaders who have …

The Nation reports: A leaked copy of a draft executive order titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” obtained by The Investigative Fund and The Nation, reveals sweeping plans by the Trump administration to legalize discrimination. The four-page draft order, a copy of which is currently circulating among federal staff and advocacy organizations, construes religious organizations so broadly …